A Ghost in the Wind (Rewritten)
by Crescent Blue
Summary: Based off of Agatha Christie's "The Harlequin Tea Set". An onlooker in life, a mysterious man thrusts Mr. Satterthwaite into a brand new paradigm.


A/N: Now that I've read every Mr. Quin and Satterthwaite stories to completion, I feel better equipped to write this over again. The end of "Harlequin Tea Set" is just too beautiful for words. This version of "A Ghost in the Wind" will spring off of that ending.

Disclaimer: Mr. Harley Quin, Mr. Satterthwaite and all related content belong to Dame Agatha Christie. I own nothing and am not making any profits from this whatsoever.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Mr. Satterthwaite sat in his vehicle as it drove past the rundown little tea shop called "The Harlequin Café". His mind still reeling from the events that occurred at Doverton Kingsborne. Most of all, he marveled at how that mysterious man, Mr. Harley Quin, made miracles occur.

The miracle that he saw his deceased goddaughter, Lily, once more. The miracle that he was able to decipher Mr. Quin's clue to prevent a tragedy. The miracle of knowing that his beloved Lily was happy knowing that her son was saved and she could rest easy.

Time and time again Mr. Quin deflected responsibility and credit to his elderly companion, but such occurrences did not happen for Mr. Satterthwaite on a regular basis. In the long time span since their last meeting, nothing out of the ordinary came to pass. Art galleries, dinner parties, and theater shows came and went with no stirrings of the drama that he and Mr. Quin investigated.

Mr. Quin, who was mostly silent, seemed to be the catalyst for things to come. An omen of sorts. Sometimes, all he ever said was one word. A word that those involved may temporarily forget about, but it always rose back to the surface and destroyed the fog. Sometimes he let a few seemingly irrelevant sentences and questions slip out. But the true end was always reached.

Mr. Satterthwaite laughed lowly to himself. Speaking of true ends, it amused him that it took him this long to learn what his elusive friend truly was. He said it himself at the end of the Doverton Kingsborne adventure. _They are of the same world._

His Lily and Mr. Harley Quin were spirits. Mr. Quin gave him a strong hint during their earlier encounters: He was an advocate for the dead. Lily called out to Mr. Quin for help in saving her son. No matter how much Mr. Quin denied it, Mr. Satterthwaite knew that the spirit had a sense for impending, hidden trouble.

The elderly man shuddered at how close he came to failing his mission. A few more seconds and Timothy would've drank from the poisoned cup. Daltonism - the reason that he was unable to tell that the cup had been switched due to his colorblindness. The clues were so vague. That time there was no imminent drama that screamed at Mr. Satterthwaite from the start. His Lily would've never had peace in the afterlife if he had failed. Mr. Satterthwaite didn't know if he could live with himself if he failed the mission that Mr. Quin set him upon.

The elderly gentleman shook his head to clear those unpleasant thoughts and refocused them on his enigmatic friend. He somewhat felt like a fool for not noticing the common odd occurrences. The strange tricks of light that would play with Mr. Quin's appearance, the fact that he was invisible to most people, and the glaring evidence of his knowing more than he let on. No being of the mortal realm displayed those traits.

The elderly man also felt somewhat proud of himself. He assumed that there were not many people in the world that have befriended a spirit. The notion brought about a sense of humility as well. It was Mr. Satterthwaite's powers of observation that aided Mr. Quin in his mission of advocating for the dead. Those powers of his assisted those who have lost their chances.

For all of his life, Mr. Satterthwaite was an onlooker. He never dreamed that he'd be using his talents to assist the dead with their regrets, wishes, and dreams. It was ironic. Here he was, an elderly man who was likely not too far away from his own afterlife, but had finally found a purpose for life besides watching the scenes play out.

But there was one scene that he wasn't aware of. How did Mr. Quin leave the stage of life?

The prying Mr. Satterthwaite had strangely never been able to develop any questions about his mysterious friend until now. He had several chances during their early adventures. Was it because he was too caught up in trying to solve the mystery that Mr. Quin brought about? Could it be that Mr. Quin always vanished before a proper opportunity arose? The elderly man often invited, and sometimes implored, Harley to join him in recreational events. The answer was always the same: He comes and goes.

He comes and goes. That's the very nature of a spirit. Was that the reason for the sad smile that often formed on Mr. Quin's face? Did Mr. Quin want to pass on, but couldn't? Or could it be that he wished that he was alive?

The thought of Mr. Quin leaving permanently made Mr. Satterthwaite uneasy. He had many acquaintances of varying high statuses, but he did not have such a strong bond with any of them, not even for those he knew for many years. At times, he considered Mr. Quin to be his conscience. His mind never saw things through a different lens without Quin around.

But if Mr. Quin did want to leave, wouldn't it be selfish to force him to stay for a lonely, nosy old man's sake? If Mr. Quin wanted to be revived, Mr. Satterthwaite wasn't sure how to address that futile dream. One cannot return from the dead once passed on.

Another thought occurred to the aged man, what if he'd replace Mr. Quin once his own time expired? Was that the reason for the seemingly random meetings? Perhaps Mr. Quin wanted to find someone capable to take on the quest in his stead. If that was indeed the case, the wandering spirit could finally rest.

The questions and theories were burning inside Mr. Satterthwaite's mind. If his suspicions were true, he couldn't find it within himself to be angry at Mr. Quin. One can become weary after a while even with enjoyable deeds. However, the dramas of human life enthralled Mr. Satterthwaite. He hadn't liked the thought of death because it would mean the end of the eternal stage drama created by humankind. The opportunity to influence it in the afterlife filled him with an almost giddy anticipation. Mr. Satterthwaite calmed himself down. His theories and questions could just as easily be mistaken. He admonished himself for anticipating death for something that may not occur. It could even be that only a rare few become spirits like Mr. Quin is.

But these doubts didn't deter Mr. Satterthwaite's curiosity in the least. Once he's set his mind on something, he didn't let up until it was accomplished. He pulled the crumpled note outside of his coat pocket. The note that Mr. Quin's faithful dog, Hermes, brought to him. The multi-colored letters were still there promising that the two would meet again one day.

Mr. Satterthwaite gave himself a new purpose. He would continue to help Mr. Quin's advocating, but he would be the one in control of the spotlight.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I personally feel that the rewritten version is superior to the original. It feels more solid and structured. Oh well. I'm not sure if I want to delete the original version or not. I'm leaning towards "No", but I like this one so much better!

In any case, thanks for reading! :-)


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